


contemplation

by vaultboii



Series: RED VS BLUE SERIES [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Conversations, Family Bonding, Friendly Bickering, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 22:36:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14506977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaultboii/pseuds/vaultboii
Summary: “You know,” says Epsilon quietly, “he’s not so bad.”





	contemplation

**Author's Note:**

> keep in mind this takes place before season 11, right after the events of season 10.

“You know,” says Epsilon quietly, “he’s not so bad.”

Carolina is startled out of her thoughts at the table. Epsilon’s voice had jumped out of nowhere in the peace -- he did that often after they had left the teams in the canyon. She looks around for the blue A.I, and finds him at her elbow, staring into the desolated ruins they had decided to take a quick breather in. He’s flickering; if she squints, she can see ribbons of his thoughts trail in 0s and 1s through his armour.

He’s been pretty quiet since they left the teams. He’s only talked when they neared an objective, or mentioned that she’s been running herself thin too much. Other than that? The A.I had kept to himself. If it wasn’t for his occasional stray emotion pulsing through their neural implants (if they could even be called emotions, Carolina thinks), or a few hums of old annoying songs, Carolina wouldn’t of known he was still there.

Surprisingly, it’s lonely without his voice perking up every few minutes.

Carolina decides not to tell Epsilon that, and humours him at her elbow. “Who?”

“Caboose. The Alpha complained a lot about him -- like, I mean, a _lot._ ” Epsilon continues. His avatar puts the blunt end of the sniper rifle down, and leans against the barrel – Carolina can see that thoughtful flicker go through him again as he gazes up at her. “It was always, ‘Caboose makes my life miserable’ and ‘Caboose is a fucking _moron’_ that the Alpha had here. I can remember it, faintly.”

The A.I gives a faint snicker. Carolina has known him long enough to know that’s a sign to inquire, and sit back for his long-speeches. “Alright, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Just – just thinking, Carolina.” Epsilon huffs. His voice has trailed into the stage of preparing for a rant. What a long-winded _annoyance,_ Carolina thinks fondly. “Just thinking.”

“Mmhm.”

“Seriously, Carolina.” If Epsilon could inhale, Carolina imagines he would be doing it right now. “It’s just – they’re not so bad as the Alpha made them out to be.”

“So it’s a ‘they’ now, huh?”

“Shut up.” Epsilon flickers, and a long trail of annoyed 0s fills his left side. “I mean – listen, when I first met the guys, I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand them. And I – well, _Alpha,_ was right. They’re annoying! Irritating! Absolute pricks that I wish I could strangle.”

“This entire speech is being counterproductive,” Carolina says.

“Okay, okay – what I mean to say is, the Alpha was wrong. He was _right,_ but he was _wrong._ ” Epsilon sighs, and stops leaning on the sniper rifle. “They’re okay. They’re not _great_ , but they’re what I got, right? They’re annoying, and vexing and irritating, and Caboose is an absolute _moron_ , but – you know? I don’t hate Caboose the most. I don’t hate them. They’re like –”

He trails off. The ceiling had suddenly caught the A.I’s attention, and a flicker of Theta’s pink around his edges had Carolina raising her eyebrows.

“Family,” Carolina finishes.

“I didn’t say that,” Epsilon says far too quickly. His edges are definitely Theta-pink now.

“Mmhm,” Carolina hums her own little victory note.

“No, I didn’t say that.” She’s never heard Epsilon splutter before. It’s quite a welcome change to the smug attitude he carried around after rants. If she could she’d be recording, but definitely Epsilon would delete the files immediately afterwards. “Actually, I take it all back. I hate every one of them. I hate everything. The Alpha was completely right about this bitch of a life. I hate my life –”

“Church,” and the use of the name throws the A.I completely off – Epsilon freezes mid-ramble, 0s and 1s all faltering. Carolina continues, gentle. “You should tell them.”

Epsilon stutters. Os and 1s crash completely, and reboot just as fast. An entire conversation of numbers stumbles over his armour, and there must be some wrestle with Theta and Delta had, because a flurry of violently-varying colours accompanies those numbers. Finally, the numbers resettle, and the light blue returns, though avidly tinted in a warm pink hue.

“What?” The A.I finally says flatly, voice way too calm for that depiction of embarrassment.

Carolina shrugs, and moves her elbow away from Epsilon so she can look him visor to visor. “I think – I think your team wouldn’t mind hearing that from you.” She hesitates. “I know my team never got that from their leader.”

Epsilon pauses again. “Huh,” he says. The thoughtfulness returns.

“Caboose definitely wouldn’t mind hearing it,” she adds as an afterthought.

Epsilon backtracks so fast that Carolina can’t stop the snort even if she tried. “Absolutely not. I’ll have him following me for weeks – do you understand what weeks with Caboose are like, Carolina? Absolute horrid.”

“Good talk, Epsilon,” Carolina sniggers and gets up from the table. The breather was over.

“No – listen, it is _hell_ . Living, _breathing_ hell. Carolina, are you listening?”


End file.
